Holy Cow this is a freaking long chapter!!!!!!! I think it was 20 pages in word! It's good though, so please take the time to read it all!
Thank yous: Dodger, Mouse, Spades and BugleGirl!
Ducky, who actually ended up writing the ending...so yeah...that's why the style is a little different. hehe anyway enjoy...
That night us girls had a slumber party downstairs in the living room while the guys slept upstairs. We didn't go to bed until 4:30 and of course it just had to be the day the guys wanted to get up early.
"Dey're still sleepin!" Spot said.
"Should we wake em up?" Blink asked.
"Do you want to die?" Mush answered him.
"Let's go outside." Jack said.
"Yeah since I didn't get ta go wid ya yestahday." Blink said as they walked out into the snow.
"What was Media talkin bout a lake yestahday?" Jack asked.
"It's over that way, she said she wasn't sure if it was frozen over yet." Mush said.
"Shall we go check?" Blink suggested.
"Why not?" was the universal reply.
They walked along making small talk until they realized they were on the lake.
"What's dat crackin noise?" Blink asked looking around.
"Might be a branch breakin from da snow." Jack said.
"Den why is it comin from below us?" Spot asked.
"Because we're breaking the ice." Mush replied.
"Dat ain't good!" Jack said.
"So do we run foh it, or cahfully walk back?" Spot asked.
"Walk but we don't even know where it ends or begins!" Mush said.
"Let's just go where we came from." Blink suggested.
"Sounds good ta me." Spot said turning and walking back the way they came.
"Won't walkin on da ice in da same place make it weakah?" Jack asked.
"CRAP!" Spot said.
"Fan out, so we're not so close together!" Mush ordered.
"Ah, me foot's wet!" Blink said shaking his foot.
"What from da snow?" Jack asked.
"No, it's watah." Blink said slowly.
"Uh, it's crackin!" Jack told him.
"Take long but light strides." Mush coached.
"Or ya could just run foh it." Spot added.
Just then the ice gave way as Blink plunged into the icy water.
"WE'SE GOTTA HELP HIM!" Jack yelled.
"Tread lightly or you'll fall in with him!" Mush warned.
"What if we made a chain?" Spot asked.
Blink came to the surface and tried to pull himself up, but the ice cracked under his weight. Jack crawled over to him, Spot hanging onto Jack's foot and Mush hanging onto his foot.
"Aight Blink, once I get a hold a ya, we'll all pull back real quick." Jack said.
"Okay." Blink shivered.
"On da count a tree!" Spot yelled.
"1-2-3!" Mush counted.
They pulled Blink out of the water and stumbled to solid ground.
"I-It's c-c-cold." Blink said shaking.
"Uh Jack how many layers do you have on?" Mush asked.
"2"
"What a shirt and coat?"
"Yah."
"Blink take your coat off, take mine." Mush said handing him his coat.
"Ya can use me hat." Spot said placing it on his head.
"How's dat gonna help?" Jack asked.
"Because if da head is wahm or cold, it affects da rest a da body." Spot said.
"Aight Jack take his right side, I've got his left, Spot you run ahead and tell the girls!" Mush said.
"Aight." Spot said running off.
"How fah away is it?" Jack asked.
"30 acres."
"H-how b-big is dat?" Blink asked.
"About 3,000 yards."
"I'm gonna freeze!" Blink despaired.
"No ya ain't." Jack said.
"At least we're not lost this time." Mush commented.
"Dat's true." Jack said.
Just then they heard an engine and saw Angel and Spot heading toward them on a snowmobile.
"Aight get im on." Spot said hopping off.
"He's heaviah dan he looks!" Jack said.
"Someone might wanna ride behind him so that he doesn't fall off." I advised.
"Ya can go Jack." Spot said.
"What happened?" I asked as we rode along.
"He fell through the ice." Jack said.
"I can see that! Why the hell were you on the ice?!"
"We didn't know we was on da ice."
"How could you not know?"
"Cause it was covahed in snow like everyting else!"
"How long has he been like this?" I asked.
"I dunno, I haven't been wearin a watch!"
"Help me get him in!" I said coming to a screeching halt in front of the cabin.
"I was planning on it!"
"Ya two sound like ya married!" Blink said.
"Yeah, whatever!" I replied.
"Media said to sit him down on the couch." Ace said as we entered the living room.
"Blink!" Dodger said running up and hugging him.
"Dodgah, move, we gotta set him down!" Jack said.
"On second thought, bring him in the bathroom!" we heard Media call.
"Why don't we just take him upstahs?" Jack said knocking me.
"That was my foot." I said.
"Sahy."
"Dodger you're needed!" Media said as we came in the bathroom.
"I'm coming!" she said as we heard her hobbling along.
"We gotta get him out of the wet clothes and I don't wanna see him naked so that's your job!" Media said as the rest of us dashed out of the room.
"What makes you think I do?" she yelled at us.
"You're his girlfriend!"
"Fine, I'll stay with him til he's down to his boxers then I'm leaving!"
"When it comes to that he'll take his own boxers off with a towel rapped around his waist." Media said sterntly.
"Aight, I'se fine wid d dat." Blink stuttered from the cold. Several minutes later Dodger limped out of the bathroom leaving Media and Blink. Spot and Mush came crashing through the outside door.
"I win!" Mush smiled.
"Stupid ice!" Spot complained.
"How's he doin?"
"Um, Media is helping him." I said not wanting to tell Blink that she was alone with a half naked Blink.
"Why aint ya wid him?" Spot asked Dodger.
"Hello, I don't want to see him that unclothed!" She said exasperated.
"What was that?" Mush asked his eyes darkening.
"That came out wrong, Media is helping him, and he isn't naked." I explained glaring at Dodger for being so vague.
"That's what I said." Dodger said.
"Not quite good enough though." I said. "He's in a towel."
"I really don't want that visual in my head." Mush said shuddering from the thought.
"Hehe." I laughed.
"Okay Dodger, he's wearing pants now." Media said walking into the room.
"Where ah we gonna put im?" Spot asked.
"Huh?" I said.
"He'll be fine on the couch." Media said.
"So now me an Ace ah upstairs?" He said to clarify.
"If you want to switch sure."
"Yeah dat way him an Dodgah can stay by da fiah, and we can have a real mattress!"
"Can you guys go move him out here?" Media asked Jack and Mush.
"Yeah." They said.
They put Blink down on the couch and got his feet soaking in warm water. Him and Dodger fell asleep cuddled next to each other leaving the rest of us to make cookies.
"I love cookies!" I said with a contented grin.
"I like da dough!" Spot said dipping his fingers in before Media smacked him. "What was dat foh?"
"I'm gonna kick you out of the kitchen if you do that again!" she warned.
"Mush did it too!"
"Did not!" Mush retorted, mouth full of cookie dough.
"MUSH!" Media yelled.
"What?"
"MEN!" She said exasperated.
"Men who like cookie dough!" Mush said going in for a second dip.
"Stop that!" I said smacking his hand with my spoon.
"Ow you got my knuckle"
"Serves you right!" Ace said laughing.
"Ya'll ah crazy in da kitchen." Jack said.
"Don't eat raw cookie dough out of the bowl and you're safe." I smiled.
"Don't give Acorn a knife and you're safe." Media teased.
"That only happened once!" I protested.
"You were cutting a biscuit!"
"How was I supposed to know you handed me a steak knife?"
"You have eyes, I thought you had used them!"
"Why did ya give hah a knife period?" Jack asked.
"You're sleeping on the floor!" I said glaring at him.
"I tried that threat with Mush, it doesn't work they just jump back on."
"DANGIT!"
"Oh I remember that." Mush said reminiscing.
"You remember when Media kicked you out of her bed?"
"Yeah cause I landed on one her high heels." He said rubbing his butt.
"I've done something like that." I said.
"You landed on a high heel?" asked Ace.
"No we were driving to this Easter thing with our church, and I was sleeping in the backseat. Well we came up on a traffic jam and my dad hit the breaks, when he did I went rolling and landed on one of those large belt buckles with the prong on it to keep it in place." I explained.
"Yeah ya complained about it all night too!" Spot laughed.
"You try dancing on it!" I snapped.
"What about last yeah?"
"That was slightly different."
"What happened?" Ace asked leaning on the counter.
"Well mom asked me to set something up for her and I was running down a flight of stairs and I slipped and busted…later that night I had to dance and jump around a lot with an injured tailbone."
"I don't feel so bad now." Mush said.
"Yah leave it up to da queen of klutzes ta do dat." Spot said.
"Mush, if you eat the dough one more time, I'm gonna whitewash you!" Media yelled.
"You keep talking about 'whitewashing' Media, what is it?" Ace asked.
"It's when you take someone down in the snow and you shove their coat and hair and you basically smother them in snow."
"Yeikes!"
"Yeah good times." Media laughed.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side." I joked.
"Wait, so Spot will be upstairs next to us now?" Mush asked.
"Yeah." I replied.
"Dang it."
"Whad was dat foh?" Spot asked defensively.
"Chain saw…."
"It aint dat bad!"
"How would you know?"
"Spades didn't complain none."
"Actually, she told me she was leaving because of your snoring and accidentally hit the guy with the door on her way out." I told him trying not to laugh.
"Whateveh!" Spot glared.
"I still love you." Ace said hugging him.
"That's good." Mush teased.
"Media aint gonna be da only one whiewashin ya!" Spot threatened.
"Any day Spotty." Mush taunted.
"No fighting around the cookies!" Media and I both warned simultaneously.
"Dat was creepy." Jack said taking a step back.
"Ya have no idea." Spot said.
"Hehehheheh." Media chuckled in an evil matter.
"I'se glad she wid you Mush." Jack said hiding behind me.
"And you think you're safe with me?" I teased.
"True, ya aint quite tall enough foh protection."
"Hush you!" I said hitting yet another person with my spoon.
"Ow!"
"Hurts don't it?" Mush smirked as Jack waved his hand around.
"The cookies are done!" Ace said happily.
"Quick get da dough while dere distracted!" Spot yelled to Mush.
"Got it!" Mush said running outside with the dough and Spot right behind him
"NOOOOO!" I screamed falling over dramatically to the floor.
"It aint dat deep Angel." Jack said thinking I was serious.
"Media runs fast." Ace said as Media tackled Spot.
"Good, cause I'm getting that dough back!" I said accidentally bunting Jack as I rushed off of the floor and ran outside.
"Give me that!" I said sliding over to Mush and grabbing the bowl of dough away from him before running back inside.
"You can't run forever!" Mush yelled pegging me in the back with a snowball.
"I don't have to! I just have to run inside!" I said sticking out my tongue and preparing to walk inside. Unfortunately the door was closer than I thought and I ran into it with a thud.
"Angel, ya aight?" Jack asked running to the door.
"OW!" I said putting my hand on my head.
"Ya could stick ya head in a snowbank, it might help." Spot suggested.
"Oh yeah, well take that!" I threw a snowball at him.
"Ya aim is as crappy as ya rapping!" Spot said as the snowball landed several feet from him.
"Oh yeah, let's see how crappy it is now!" I said tackling him.
"Don't leave the cookie dough on the ground!" Media said running inside with it.
"Who has crappy aim?" I asked Spot.
"Ya still have crappy aim."
"Whatever, I'm getting cold now." I said going inside and locking the door.
"ANGEL LET ME IN!" Spot shouted through the glass.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
"You do know that Jack and Mush are still out there." Ace said.
"Dang it!" I said unlocking the door.
I opened the door to let them in and Spot pushed me in the snow.
"Oh get off, snow in pants!!!!" I said hopping around.
"It's da bunny!" Jack said.
"Not again!" Mush said walking into the kitchen.
"Hehe." I laughed once my butt had warmed up.
"We should go camping!" Ace said excitedly.
"Ain't we already doin dat?" Spot asked.
"I meant outside."
"If dis headache don't go away, I ain't goin!" Spot said.
"There's Tylenol upstairs in the bathroom." Media said.
"Aight," He said heading upstairs. He got to the bathroom and reached in the medicine cabinet assuming that Tylenol was the only painkiller in there. And it had been, until Mush added his Vicoden in there that he used for his leg and shoulder. Spot threw back the Vicoden not reading the label and rejoined the others downstairs.
"The place to do it would be the maze." Media said in regard to the camping grounds.
"What da heck is dat?" Jack asked.
"It's in the Northeast acres, it has one side cluttered with saplings another with these dirt mounds like 5 feet high, and there's pines surrounding the whole area so the wind won't get us.
"How is that like a maze?" I asked not understanding her.
"Because it's really hard to find because you have to weave your way through the brush while not getting stuck in the underbrush and once inside everything looks alike cept the mounds of dirt at the one end."
"And ya want us ta go dere?" Spot asked a little skeptical.
"It'll be worth it." Media replied while eating a cookie.
"Oh cookie!" I said excitedly grabbing one.
"Wow, I'm glad she's with you." Mush said in regard to Jack saying that about Media earlier.
"Yummy gooey-ness." I said happily chewing the chocolate chip cookie in my mouth.
"When should we do it?" Ace asked between bites of her cookie.
"Je nai ces pas." Media answered her French class kicking in.
"Jua ne past what?" Spot repeated.
"Hhaha."
"Wad did ya say?"
"She said I don't know." Mush smiled.
"You don't know what?" I asked coming back to reality.
"You're a little behind Angel." Ace said.
"I'm so confused!!!" I said dramatically falling on Jack.
"Angel, ya heavy when ya do dat." He groaned.
"Are you calling me fat?"
"No, I'se callin ya fluffy." He smiled.
"Fluffy things are light." Media said.
"Ya ain't helpin!" Jack said.
"I was just playin with ya Jackie Boy." I said patting his head.
"When my shoulder gets better and your butt's not sore, I'm throwing you in the snow." Mush said.
"Then stop eating the cookie dough!" I said hitting him over the head with the spoon.
"The hand is acceptable, don't be smackin his head." Media said, her eyes growing dark.
"Eep!" I shrieked diving behind Jack.
"WHEN ARE WE GOING CAMPING?!" Ace asked becoming frustrated with us.
"We'll have to talk to the two bums sleeping on the couch!" Media answered.
"In other words tomorrow at the earliest." I said catching on.
"Ten points for Acorn!" Media said.
"Yay…wait why am I getting 10 points?"
"How is it she acts dizzy, when I'm the one who got hit in the head?" Mush asked.
"I heah ya bout feelin dizzy." Spot commented.
"About Acorn feeling dizzy or about you feeling dizzy?" Media asked as he began to teeter back and forth.
"Me."
"How many of those Tylenol did you take?" I asked rushing to hold him up.
"I only took one da big ones."
"Tylenol isn't big." Ace said coming over to help me prop him up.
"No but my Vicoden are." Mush said with a grimace.
"So Spot took da Vicoden?" Jack asked.
"It looks that way." I said trying to keep him in a chair.
"We should probably move him to the recliner." Media said.
We walked Spot over to the chair and plopped him down.
"I ain't sick, me head is just buzzin." He protested.
"Spot you took a Vicoden, my prescription strength Aleve knocked you out!" I said.
"It aint' dat bad!" Spot said trying to sit up.
"Do ya want me ta sit on ya again?" Jack asked walking up.
"I can take both a ya!" Spot said.
"Uh dere's only one a me." Jack said bewildered.
"Da monkeys ah crazy!" Spot declared.
"You are crazy!" Media said walking back into the kitchen.
"He's not crazy, he's just drugged!" Ace said defending him.
"Maybe we ought to get him up to bed?" I said looking at him.
"Probably."
Jack and Mush took him upstairs while Spot rambled about dancing squirrels.
"So should we make dinner, or are we just eating cookies all night?" Media asked.
"I vote dinner, if I eat any more cookies I'm gonna puke later." I said.
"I second dat vote." Jack said glancing at me.
"Why?" Ace asked sarcastically.
"I'm sleepin wid hah, I really don't want hah ta puke on me."
"In some cultures puking on your mate is a sign of love." Media said.
"Tell me she's jokin!" Jack begged.
"No, I learned that in Humanities." I said playing along.
"Yeah Media and I can't get married yet because we haven't puked on each other." Mush said adding to the fire.
"Yeah it's a rare Irish custom that my family sticks to." I said.
"Are you doing the puke story again?" Dodger asked from the couch.
"Ya done dis befoh?" Jack asked.
"Yeah you should have seen Skittery's face when we told him that." I grinned.
"Yeah it's kind of like an initiation thing." Media said.
"But speaking of the puke story, why don't you and Mush get married?" I asked my curiosity taking over my mouth.
"Ask Mush!" Media said rummaging through the fridge.
"Well?" I turned on Mush.
"Uh, still straightening out some finances." Mush bsed.
"You can't be worse off than Jack." Ace said.
"I'm not dat bad off!" Jack protested.
"I don't see a ring on her finger!" Ace said pointing to me.
"That's because we JUST STARTED DATING!!!!!" I exclaimed.
At that moment Media dropped what she was holding and started laughing hysterically.
"Was dat our dinnah?" Jack complained as his stomach growled.
"It's still frozen nothing's wrong." Media said washing off the frozen meat in the sink.
"Come on Angel, you know you want to marry him!" Ace said.
"I..uh…I'm gonna go hide now." I said dashing off to my room blushing.
"Ya put me on the spot and then you run away?" Mush yelled after me.
I dashed into our room and hid my head under a pillow. I heard someone enter the room and looked up to see Media.
"That was really embarrassing." I whimpered.
"Yeah kinda annoyed that she did that, but she doesn't know any better." Media said sitting down.
"I wanna go hide in a hole!"
"Aww, the ground is really frozen, I think you're better up here."
"I wouldn't have to face everyone though."
"It could be worse."
"How?"
"You could have tripped over your foot, your pants could have ripped, you could have ACTUALLY puked on him, see the list goes on!"
"Gee thanks I feel so much better now!" I said sarcastically.
"Seriously, don't worry about marriage right now, just focus on your dating."
"I'm trying to, but the rest of my family is trying to get me married off!"
"Do you want me to talk to them?"
"No, then they'd disown me."
"Disown you for not marrying a guy you've only known for a month?"
"No for having you talk to them." I said hitting her with a pillow.
"You should be more specific!" She said hitting me back.
"Oy I wish life was simple again, back when boys had cooties." I said rolling on my back.
"Yes, kindergarten, half days were fun."
"Yeah no working, no stupid boys, no nosy people."
"Growing up is mandatory, maturing is optional."
"Well I've proven that one!"
"We all have."
"I can't go back down there." I said staring at the ceiling.
"We could tell them you had to go throw up."
"Actually, at this point I think I will!" I said dashing to the bathroom.
"Don't take any Vicoden pills!" Media shouted mockingly after me.
"I (cough) didn't plan on it." I said amid retching my guts into the toilet. Media came in and held my hair back and handed me a damp towel when I was done.
"Thanks." I said leaning up against the bathtub.
"You're welcome."
"You're a good friend."
"That's what I'm here for." She smiled.
"Ok, we're gonna try going downstairs." I said standing up.
"Acorn," Media asked not standing up with me.
"Hm?"
"Do you think Mush and I are having sex?"
"Where did that come from?"
"Well I know Dodger thinks we are, and Uncle Nate thinks we are, so I was wondering if you did too."
"No, actually I hadn't thought about it. It's one of those I don't think people are unless they tell me they are."
"Okay." She said standing up.
"Are you?"
"Yes and I'm three months pregnant, I'm gonna name it Python."
"And that would be a no."
"How about boa?"
"I meant about having sex you dork!"
"So you wouldn't mind having a niece or nephew named after a snake."
"It's your child! You'll be the one who has to deal with them weeping after getting teased for their name!"
"You're the one who would get scared everytime I said their name!"
"It's not my fault the stupid snake picked that day to sleep by the post, thus terrifying me for the rest of my life!"
"Yes it is your fault!" she said as we walked down the stairs.
"Whatever you dork! You're the one who would name her child after a reptile!"
"I was joking!"
"I figured, I mean what mother in her right mind would name her child after a snake? Or Xeron for that matter." I said thinking of a cousin on the other side of my family who did that.
"I'm hungry!" Jack whined from the kitchen.
"Learn how to cook!" I said.
"Heya Angel." Jack said not certain of how to act.
"This is why I didn't want to come down!" I hissed at Media.
"Just gave him a minute." She replied coolly.
"What is this?" Ace asked poking the thawing meat in the sink.
"Hamburger." Media said breaking it apart with a knife almost stabbing Mush who walked up behind her to give her a hug.
"Gaahh!" he yelped jumping backwards and elbowing Jack in the eye.
"Ow!" Jack shouted.
"What's going on in there?" Dodger asked not being able to get up.
"Mush attacked me!" Jack said rubbing his eye.
"I didn't even know you were there, and she almost stabbed me!" Mush said taking the knife away from Media who was now giggling at the whole matter.
"That…was…freakin hilarious!" I laughed.
"Not really!" Mush said.
"Oh stop whining!"
"That's it." Mush said scooping me up and walking towards the door.
"PUT ME DOWN!!!!!!!" I yelled hitting his back with my fists.
"That's kinda hurts, but it'll be worth it!" he said opening the door.
"MUSH!"
"You're down." He said tossing me in the snow bank.
"Oh cold cold cold!!!!" I said walking barefoot through the snow.
"You are a dead man!" I said slamming the door.
"I'm still breathin." He said walking back into the kitchen.
"Not for long." I whispered to myself sneaking up behind him, when Jack grabbed my waist and threw me over his shoulder.
"JACK KELLY PUT ME DOWN!!!!!!!"
"Thanks Jack" Mush said eating a cookie.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked still slumped over Jack's shoulder.
"To the lovemaking." Media laughed.
"That's not funny!" I yelled at her.
"Well you are headed upstairs." Ace said as Jack continued up the stairs.
"WHAT PART OF VIRGIN TIL MARRIAGE ARE YOU PEOPLE NOT COMPREHENDING!" I yelled.
"We'se got it Angel, relax."
"No"
"I just tought you wouldn't wanna walk wid icy feet." He had a point.
"Ok, fine."
"Dere ya go." He said setting me down on the bed.
"Thanks." I said quietly, not sure of what to do exactly, I was still very embarrassed. Media's last comment hadn't helped any either.
"Ya welcome." Jack said handing me a pair of socks.
"OOOH the fuzzy ones!"
"Ya a weahd one."
"But you'd miss me if I wasn't this way."
"Dat's true."
"So, uh…" I said avoiding eye contact.
"What?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I didn't say anyting."
"Um"
"Why ah ya actin weahd?"
"I'm not acting weird, what makes you think I'm acting weird?" I asked hastily.
"Dat."
"You are imagining things."
"No I ain't. Ya been actin weahd since ya walked up heah da foist time."
"I puked, I wasn't feeling good."
"Dat ain't all."
"Whatever do you mean Jack."
"I tink somtin caused ya ta puke."
"It was the cookies."
"It may have been da cookies, but I tink Ace's comment added to it."
"Not at all." I said trying to bs my way through.
"Ya ain't good at lyin Angel."
"Ok fine it had a lot to do with it!"
"Was dat so hahd ta say?"
"Uh huh"
"We'se datin, dere's gotta be a…" Jack trailed off trying to find the right word.
"An end?"
"I was actually gonna say good communication, but dat's also true."
"And again, my mouth runs away!"
"How's about we just take dis one step at a time?"
"I'd like that, but I'm not so sure my family will."
"Well we'se aint' dating ya family." He said smiling.
"No, that would be awkward, but no what I meant was, expect a lot of pressure from them."
"Is dat why ya wid me? Cause ya feel pressahed?"
"No, I'm with you because I lo-like you!"
"Aight, so let's just leave it at dat foh now."
"Ok." I said mentally slapping myself, "You don't love him, you've only known him for a flipping month!!!!!"
"Aight, let's go back downstahs."
"Okay." I said putting my fuzzy socks on and following Jack downstairs.
"Ya know, ya should put some warnins up out dere Media." Said an obviously awake Blink.
"Well Blink you're the first to fall through." Media replied.
"I'se hungry." Spot said.
"You're always hungry."
"The stuff is bubbling!" Ace said from the stove.
"Good, it's supposed to simmer for a few minutes." Media told her.
"Whatcha makin?" I asked my stomach gurgling.
"Cheeseburger Macaroni."
"YAY!" I loved the stuff.
"I thought you wanted to make hamburgers." Mush said.
"No I hate making hamburgers because the grease attacks me, I was going to make sloppy joe's but…"
"Did I mention yay for cheeseburger macaroni?" I said.
"Yes you did."
"Yay again."
"So ya feelin bettah Spot?" Jack asked.
"A lil light headed, but yeah." Spot replied.
"Hehe." I laughed at his Vicoden experience.
"It wasn't dat bad." Spot said.
"So how are the dancing squirrels?" Mush asked trying not to laugh.
"Whaddaya talkin bout?"
"During your trip, you were seeing dancing animals."
"Oh,"
"Twas quite humorous." I added.
"Indeed!" Media said backing me up.
"I'm thirsty!" Dodger called from the couch.
"Then get off your lazy butt and get something!" I yelled.
"Maybe I shoulda left ya upstahs." Jack joked.
"And maybe I really should make you sleep on the floor." I said joking right back.
"Or you could puke on him." Mush said.
"Don't ya dah!" Jack pointed at me.
"Oh I think I am going to be sick!" I said in a staccato monotone.
"Okay it's done!" Ace said removing the pot from the burner.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Okay, let's eat!"
"WAIT!" Media said peeking into the pot.
"What?"
"I have to add the special ingredient, everyone turn around!" she said. We complied because we were all starving and she wouldn't let us eat until we did. "Okay it's ready."
"What did you do to it?" I asked.
"Can't tell."
"I bet if I tickled you, you'd tell."
"Nope."
"Yeah, because you are just as bad as I am when it comes to tickling."
"Yeah but I still wouldn't tell you."
"If I get sick I'm fully blaming you!"
"If you get sick you can join half the other people here and sit on the couch."
"Well she could get da oddah fohm a sickness." Blink smirked.
"GAH!!!!!!!!!!"
"Oh yeah, morning sickness." Dodger smiled.
"Stop picking on her!" Media snapped.
"Thank you." I whimpered.
"We was just jokin." Blink laughed.
"Ya gonna be just jokin with my foot up your ass if you don't stop!" Media threatened.
"HA take that." I sneered.
"So nice weaddah we'se havin." Jack said trying to change the subject.
"Yeah, nice fluffy snow." I commented.
"Yay we're going camping tomorrow!" Ace said.
"Whaddaya talkin bout?" Blink asked.
"Right you slept through that." Ace said.
"We'se goin campin tamarrah night or sumptin." Spot said filling Blink and Dodger in.
"As long as we stay warm, I don't care." Dodger said snuggling in her blanket.
"You are such a city girl!" Media said.
"Yeah, so?"
"It shines through."
"Hehe." I laughed.
"Dis aint bad." Spot said with a mouthful of food in his mouth.
"What did you put in here?" I asked poking it to see if I could see anything new in it.
"She won't tell." Mush said kissing her.
"Ew! Pda!" Dodger said turning away.
"Ah come one Ddogah, it aint dat bad." Blink smiled at her. Dodger blushed and the conversation continued until late into the night.
"I'se sleepy." Jack yawned.
"Me too." Dodger mumbled.
"When ya goes ta bed, don't freak if ya heah creakin." Spot told her in a hush voiced.
"That sounds wrong." I said eyeing him and Ace.
"Not like dat! I'se been heahin noise when it's late, but I tink it's just da old floohs."
"Well, I have Blink, so I'll be okay." Dodger declared not wanting to climb the stairs.
"Interesting." I said to myself as everyone said goodnight to each other. That night I kept thinking about what Spot said, what if there really was someone who broke in? Those convicts where hiding in the house… so I decided to stay up and see if I heard anything. I was dozing in and out of consciousness when I heard the creak of a door open. I immediately shot out of bed and crept to my door to listen. It had come from Media's room, was she still not sleeping? I listened to the steps going down the stairs and decided I would go talk to her so she wouldn't scare Dodger. I stepped into the hallway and saw a shadow move at the bottom of the stairs and head towards the den. I silently, or as silently as I could creep on the old steps, made my way down stairs. I poked my head around the corner into the den to see someone sitting in a chair with their back towards me. I got the idea to jump her and began to sneak up on her. I was about to attack when I noticed in my sleepy state that it was Mush.
"Hey Mush." I said walking around the chair and sitting in the one opposite of him. Mush was not the type to normally isolate himself at the wee hours of the morning.
"Hey." He responded barley acknowledging me.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Just sittin."
"I can see that. Why?"
"Why am I sitting or why am I up?" he smirked.
"Both."
"I'm sitting cause my leg kills. And I'm up because I can't sleep."
"Why not?" I asked. He slowly brought the object that he had been playing with up so I could see it.
"And what is that?' I asked looking at the black velvet jewelry case in his hand.
"It's… my future, I hope." He said solemnly.
"Uuh, I'm not understanding, what?"
"It's an engagement ring Angel."
"Awwww."
"Wow."
"So what are you having problems with, why can't you sleep?"
"What if she says no?!" he exploded, clearly he had been stressing.
"She won't say no." I said smiling.
"How do you know?"
"She's my cousin, I know how she thinks."
"Ok."
"So how ya gonna ask her?" I asked as my curiosity grew.
"Um, I wanna do it here, cause this is where she grew up."
"That's so sweet."
"Yeah, I almost choked when you asked me why we weren't married earlier."
"Soorrry."
"It's ok, just ironic timing." He smirked.
"Yeah, I wish everybody would leave me and Jack alone." I pondered.
"I've noticed it's mainly Ace and Dodger who pester you."
"And Spades and my mom and my dad." I said rolling my eyes as I listed them off.
"But not Jack or Media or me or….Spot."
"Spot wants Jack to die."
"No he doesn't."
"Seems like it."
"They're getting better."
"Slowly."
"Slowly but surely."
"I just hope they don't kill each other before…"
"Before what?" Mush asked, his curiosity growing.
"B-before he proposes."
"Um, are you two planning on marrying anytime soon?"
"He's playing it by ear right now."
"And what are you doing?"
"Trying not to propose to him.."
"Ah, kinda jumpin the gun aint it?"
"I'm 21, I wanna get married. Have a family, settle down."
"I'm 21, it's not that old."
"You don't have a biological clock that's ticking either."
"Ohhh, I don't wanna know about that!"
"You asked."
"Not about that, anyway, I'm pretty sure Spot and Jack will be fine."
"I hope so." I said wishfully.
"I know so." He mumbled.
"How do you know?"
"Oh, you heard that?"
"I have good hearing, what did you mean?"
"Uhhh, it's just, they'll be fine Angel." He stumbled; Mush was never good at lying.
"Ya know you suck at lying."
"Haha, ya I know."
"So tell me."
"Oh look, SOUP!" he tried distracting me with the yummy soup word.
"Aint gonna work Lohr."
"Aight, I've been talking with Spot and he told me stuff. So don't worry about it."
"Tell me before I strangle you." I growled at him.
"Haha, fine. He doesn't hate Jack never has, well he did at first, but he's been fakin it mostly."
"Why?"
"You know how Spot is, he hates being, what's the word…"
"Smart?"
"I can tell you're related. No he doesn't like letting others know he can get hurt, and I'm not talkin physically."
"That's obvious."
"What part?"
"That he doesn't mind showing others he can get hurt physically."
"So do you get it now?"
"Sorta."
"Just give him time, let them work with it.'
"And what about Jack?'
"Are you talkin bout his safety or your relationship?'" he smiled.
"Relationship duh."
"Someone's touchy, um let me think."
"Think about what?!" I exclaimed loosing patience.
"OK, I don't do well with Media using that voice with me, so don't even start." He warned.
"What do you need to think about?" I half growled as I struggled not to kill him. He looked annoyed for a second but continued helping me.
"I'm thinking about what to tell you about your relationship."
"I'm confused…"
"How?'
"By your whole phrase, I don't know."
"I said let me think, and then you started whatever that was and now we're here at square one, again."
"So think!"
"I am glad Media doesn't share the traits you are exercising right now."
"Hurry up and think." He looked at me coolly. "Please?"
"Thank you. Allow me to clarify some details before passing my opinion. You want to get married, but do you want to dive in?"
"What do you mean dive in?"
"As in, get married now, elope or something."
"If I have to…yes."
"Why would you have to, and don't say because of your family."
"If he asked me to…?"
"Do you think he will?"
"No."
"Ok then. Why do you think he won't ask you to?"
"He seems to be wanting my family's respect."
"Lets recap, he won't ask you to elope, even though you would, because he wants the respect of your family… and he's taking this relationship slow, or cautiously anyway. Correct?"
"Yeah."
"And him and Spot are working through their issues, slowly, yea but still."
"Yeah." I said having no idea where he was going with this.
"Your family wants you to marry, you want to marry. He is willing to wait, your family likes him."
"Yeah." I nodded growing impatient but not wanting him to know in fear he'd get mad and not talk to me.
"So what's the problem?'
"I don't know.' I whimpered.
"I'll tell you what it is, do you want to know?'
"Yes." I said gritting my teeth. What kind of stupid question was that anyway?!!!!
"Ok, here it comes…"
"Would you get on with it!!!!" I screamed.
"Heh." He chuckled, I growled at him. We sat there in silence for what seemed like eternity.
"Mush?' I asked wondering if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open.
"Angelica." Holy crap! No one called me that but my dad, wait Mush did use our real names when he was saying something seriuous.
"Yes?' I asked partly not wanting to know what he was going to say next.
"….There is no problem." He said quietly.
"Huh?"
"It's all in your mind, there is no issue that you are facing except yourself."
"So you're saying that I'm scared?"
"That's what I can see. Are you?"
"I don't know."
"When you can answer that question, a burden will be lifted." He said smiling like he knew something I didn't.
"What did you do hi-jack a fortune cookie?'
"No, that was all me." He smirked." But no seriously Angel, when you figure yourself out, the rest will be easy."
"What do you mean figure myself out?'
"Clearly, something is distracting you and that's probably what's causin all this stress and confusion."
"Okay, what?' I asked.
"I'm not in your head, I dunno."
"You wouldn't like it in my head, it's crowded."
"Why's that?"
"I feel responsible for everybody.'
"Do you know what it means to live?" What the hell?!!!! I screamed in my head. He's worse than Media!!!
"What kind of question is that?"
"Ok, in order to love, one must experience things, ya know fear, joy, love, anger, by oneself. Not have it monitored by one's older sister."
"I let them experience that."
"It's not up to you to decide, yes you want to protect them but, you can't live for them."
"I'm a warrior, it's what I do!"
"Fight for them when they need it, not when a bully teases them or they face a problem, because if you rescue them every time they have a problem, they'll never learn. And you will be spending all your time watching and guarding their lives and letting yours slip by in the process."
"What about last week when Spot was kidnapped? What was I suppose to do huh?' I asked growing agitated and defensive.
"That was necessary because he needed it, it was life or death. That's different."
"What about the parking garage?"
"Jack helped you, it was needed as well."
"I feel responsible for what happened to Spot. Like it was all my fault it happened." I said my throat tightening.
"Angel, no one could have stopped that or known what was coming, I'm not gonna tell you not to beat yourself up because that's the warrior in you. But I know you know it wasn't your fault, it may feel like, but it is not your fault." He said trying to get through to me.
"Ya it was.'
"How was it your fault?'
"I could have told the police he was stalking me."
"That may have made it worse, you can't put someone behind bars with the lack of evidence you had against him."
"Still I could have done something." I said holding back my tears. Mush was silent for a moment then did something unexpected.
"You're right. Why didn't you save your baby brother?"
"I couldn't.'
"No, I think you could have, you should have known better."
"There wasn't anything I could do."
"Come on! You know how to fight, you're a warrior remember?"
"You still fighting when there is a 140 pound man sitting on you." I said anger seeping through.
"If I had a younger sibling, hell any sibling to fight for I would have made damn sure I protected them everyday despite some fat bastard sitting on me!"
"I was unconscious! There wasn't much I could do!"
"What about before that? You weren't sleep walking out to your car."
"I tried damn it!"
"You tried and failed! You screwed up the protector role, you didn't help your little brother when there was a knife stabbing into his throat! You couldn't even help yourself."
"I felt bad enough as it was, you aren't helping." I hissed as my anger swelled.
"No I didn't help your little ego did I? in fact I just proved you couldn't have done ANYTHING to save Spot or yourself in the garage!"
"STOP!!!" I screamed. In a drive of rage I swung at his damn face. He caught my hand, pushed me on the coffee table in between us, and pinned me down.
"LET GO OF ME!!!" I screeched at him.
"No, you're such a great big sister and fighter, get me off yourself."
"GET OFF OF ME!"
"Make me 'protector'."
"I CAN'T!!! I screamed in his face as he leaned in over me.
"You can't get me off now…you couldn't do anything in the garage either."
"I can't." I sobbed as this point.
"You need to say it all Angel so this will stop haunting you."
"I-I couldn't help him." I said in between my weeping.
"Alright, come here." Mush said pulling me up and holding me as I released it all.
"What's going on?" Dodger's voice asked. We both looked at the doorway, which was full of everyone in the house.
"She was just venting." Mush said not wanting to go into details.
"Ya ok Angel? 'Jack asked walking over to me as Mush passed over to him.
"No." I said sobbing.
"Aight, I'se gottcha." He said cradling me.
"It's ok Spot." I heard Mush say as I saw Spot looking uncertain of what to think.
"Um, we should go back to bed." Ace said not knowing what to do.
"Sounds good, ya gonna be ok Angel?" Blink asked. I nodded my head knowing if I opened my mouth I would keep crying uncontrollably.
"Ok sis." Dodger said offering a smile before she left with Blink, Spot and Ace. Media gave Mush a look that I had never seen before then gave a similar one to me before the two of them went upstairs.
"Wad happened?" Jack softly asked me.
"Mush made me admit I can't protect people." I said still lightly crying.
"He made you how?' Jack asked with a little over protectiveness in his voice.
"Reversed Psychology." I mumbled.
"Oh, so he didn't hoit ya?"
"No."
"Aight. Ya wanna go back ta da room ah stay down heah?"
"We can go up." I said wiping the tears from my eyes.